Youthful Ninja from the Future
by Mystic 777
Summary: Beware the wrath of a budding seal master. Sometimes revenge is best served with a side of Youth. AU from Tsunade retrieval and VotE.
1. The Plan

**Youthful Ninja From the Future**

Summary: When a seal-wielding savant vows revenge, it is best to pay attention. Sometimes revenge is best served with a side of Youth... _Or:_ In which revenge is had and Naruto spends an inordinate amount of time passing out.

_Note: In this AU, Naruto grew an interest in seals and used them to bring Sasuke back to Konoha (Pre-Shippuden)._

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><p><strong>Chapter One: The Plan<strong>

Sasuke flipped through a series of hand seals, sharingan whirling as he dodged Kakashi's attack. He spewed a large fireball at the silver-haired jounin and smirked. A brace of kunai shot from the flames, forcing him to retreat several yards. Sweat beaded on the young man's face as he strained his senses for the next attack.

His eyes widened in horror and he tensed to spring from the trap, but it was too late. Kakashi snatched his ankle and dragged him neck deep underground.

"Maa, Sasuke. I didn't think you'd fall for that one again!" Kakashi mused as he emerged from the ground a few feet from the defeated Uchiha. He giggled and turned a page in his book.

"Ah, so that's how it works," Naruto hummed, averting Sasuke's wrathful response. The blond sat by team seven's training logs smiling at something on the paper in his hands. He scribbled some notes on a seal-laden sheet of paper and added it to a large stack at his side.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly at the loss of his entertainment but swiftly disguised the emotion with another happy smile. "How what works Naruto?"

Behind Kakashi, Sakura performed a minor earth jutsu to dig out the raven-haired boy.

"Huh?" Naruto looked up at his teacher, his brush poised over another sheet of seals.

"It sounds like you figured something out Naruto. What is it?" His eye darted over the papers, hunting for something familiar. Sakura grabbed Sasuke's arms and started pulling him free of the rather large pit.

"Oh, that!" Naruto chuckled, and waved his brush as he spoke. "I just used my new seal array to analyze and break down the jutsu you both used. I should be able to recreate and improve on them now!"

"Oh really?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow and lowered his book slightly.

Sasuke shook off Sakura's hands and crawled the rest of the way from his pit. He brushed off clumps of soil with an ill-concealed grimace and shifted his shorts muttering about dirt in unmentionable places.

"Yeah!" Naruto grinned and studied one of the pages a moment. He made a few hand seals and sunk from view.

Kakashi blinked at the suddenly empty patch of ground and then his eye widened. "Sasuke-"

His warning came too late. A pair of hands grasped the avenger's ankles and dragged him to his eyebrows beneath the soil.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed, rushing to re-excavate her crush before he suffocated.

Naruto scratched the back of his head when he popped back up in his original spot. "Oops, guess I pulled too hard."

Kakashi pocketed his book and thrust his fist into the earth pulling the furious young man out by his collar. Only that grip prevented him from throttling the sheepish blond. He swiftly snatched the back of Sakura's dress before she could throttle her teammate.

"Despite your miscalculation, it seems you were able to copy my technique," Kakashi's calm praise belied the effort he put into restraining the thrashing boy and his fangirl.

Sasuke froze, finally hearing the discussion. "He copied your technique? Impossible, he doesn't have a sharingan." Sakura stopped struggling and looked between her teammates, her green eyes clouded with confusion.

"I believe he used seals to mimic the jutsu-copying ability of the sharingan." Kakashi hummed, putting the calmed Uchiha back on his feet and releasing Sakura. "You know Naruto, you shouldn't use your seal arrays to copy our attacks. It isn't honest."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and tapped under his left eye with an ink-stained forefinger. Kakashi coughed into his fist and averted his eye a moment. "Is this copying seal the only thing you're working on today?"

"So far, and now that I got it to work," Naruto patted the stack of paper. "I think I'll start another-"

Kakashi whisked the pile away and tucked it under his arm.

"Hey!" Naruto bellowed, rising to his knees.

"I don't think this one is safe for you to use Naruto. I'll just take these for now."

"Those are mine! Give them back!"

Kakashi dodged the boy's attacks lazily and leaped onto the rails of the nearby bridge.

"I swear Sensei, if you don't give my work back I'll make you regret it!" Naruto declared, his knuckles whitening. The handle of his brush audibly creaked under the strain.

"If you say so Naruto, but you're not getting them back." Kakashi waved the sheaf of paper merrily and vanished in a swirl of leaves. Sasuke snorted at the furious boy and scratched absently at the ring of seals around his neck.

"He's right Dobe, you won't get those back." Sasuke smirked and leaned his hip against one of the training stumps. "You'll have to give up on your new seal."

Naruto whirled and glared at his male teammate. "I don't need them back to remember my seal, I designed it after all. I'm just mad he stole my work. I'm going to teach him a lesson he won't forget!"

"Naruto! He's our teacher! If he says they're too dangerous, you should listen!" Sakura cried, "Besides, I thought you stopped pranking people!" She folded her arms and glared at him.

"As if Naruto could make a jounin like Kakashi feel guilty with a prank." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Are you going to drop another chalkboard eraser on his head?"

"You didn't even think I could pull that off and who was wrong?" Naruto slapped some grass from his behind and stooped to pack his brush and ink.

The Uchiha scowled at his back, fingers twitching towards his kunai holster. Sakura hissed, eyes darting between the two. The orange-clad boy dismissed them and gathered a few scraps of parchment that escaped Kakashi's theft.

Once finished, Naruto started walking away, back stiff. He paused at the apex of the small red bridge and stated, "I don't care whether you believe me. I already decided I'll pay him back, and I don't go back on my word. _Sakura_ at least should remember that."

Sakura bit her lip and looked away from the raven-haired boy. Naruto promised her he'd bring Sasuke back to the village when he tried to defect. Despite all expectations, Naruto and the retrieval team managed to bring the errant genin back.

Stiffening at the reminder of his probation, Sasuke pulled the tall collar of his navy shirt up to cover the binding seals around his throat. The avenger glared at the retreating boy and then at the clearly visible ANBU tailing him. Scowling, he punched a hole in the ANBU's tree and stalked away.

Sakura did not follow.

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><p>Naruto slammed the door of his apartment and reactivated his security seals with a scowl. One of several kage bunshin looked up from the scroll it was studying. "You're back early Boss; did the seal array not work?"<p>

Three other clones studying scrolls looked up, two paused in making explosive tags and another peeked in from the kitchen.

Naruto's scowl lightened slightly, "No, it worked perfectly. I copied Kakashi-sensei's headhunter technique and one of Sasuke's fireball techniques."

"Sweet!" One of the clones drawing tags cheered and waved a partially drawn tag. "Think we can make a contained version like these?"

"Ooh, good idea!" the other clones breathed in excitement.

"We're finished in here," The clone in the kitchen called. "Send us the info and we'll get started on it."

A toothy grin spread across Naruto's face. "You're going to love how I used the jutsu I tested out!" He crowed, making and swiftly dispelling a shadow clone. Within moments, the small apartment rocked with hilarity. Even the original couldn't help but grin at the memory of Sasuke's indignity. Their humor soon turned to fury at Kakashi's actions.

"Boss, you want us to switch to brainstorming mode?" The first clone asked setting his scroll aside.

"Maybe later, I'm going to clear my thoughts before I start considering ideas."

"Oh, Kakashi sensei is in trou-ble," an out-of-sight clone sang from the kitchen. Dark chuckles rang out in agreement. Whenever Naruto "cleared his thoughts" before a prank, the results were exponentially more spectacular and typically irreversible. The blond shook his head with a small smile. Weaving around the others, he slipped past the kitchen and into his bedroom.

After dropping the few scraps of notes that escaped Kakashi's theft on his dresser, he flopped face down on his bed. While a portion of his anger had cooled, a burning lump of resentment filled his chest. He didn't want Kakashi to hate him, but he wanted to pull something strong enough to relay his extreme displeasure. He needed something solid that would provoke a reaction from the usually unflappable man.

Yet what could he do?

The blond sighed and turned his head so he could breathe easier and stared sightlessly at the other side of the room. Few things outside of Jiraiya's perverted books elicited a reaction from Kakashi. Even Gai-sensei crowing about their 150th challenge this morning was only enough to prompt a "hip" head shake. He couldn't help a feeling of awe at the "Green Beast's" perseverance after all these years of challenges.

Naruto snorted when his gaze landed on the first sealing scroll he made on his trip to find Tsunade. Forcing Naruto to make _one_ sealing scroll opened the floodgates of the genin's unquenchable curiosity. Jiraiya taught Naruto kage-bunshin's memory ability just to convince him to practice the Rasengan while his clones studied sealing.

The corner of Naruto's mouth quirked up at the irony. Jiraiya insisted he learn the jutsu, and Naruto did. The Hermit never realized the dead-last saw the bigger picture.

If rasengan was a keen weapon, then seals were a personal smithy.

The possibilities seemed endless. He admitted openly that flashy jutsu were awesome but it wasn't a _jutsu_ that finally decreased the three-minute wait time for ramen. The ability to give Sharingan users a taste of their own medicine only added to the triumph.

His gaze sharpened, and he pushed himself to a cross-legged position on his faded orange coverlet. All joking aside, he and the other genin on the Sasuke retrieval team owed their safety, if not their lives to seals. The packet of paralyzing seals he'd designed for future encounters with Akatsuki worked perfectly on the team from Sound... and Sasuke.

Shaking his head like a dog, Naruto pulled his thoughts back in line. This wasn't the time for woolgathering. He had a revenge prank to plan. His eyes refocused on his first sealing scroll. A fragment of an idea formed, and he laughed. Not a happy laugh, but the darker laugh of a prankster on the hunt.

Grinning madly, he formed and dispelled a clone to pass the word. Mentally thanking Jiraiya yet again for teaching him that trick, he jumped off his bed and snatched the dusty scroll. He had a prank to plan and a seal to create.


	2. More Youthful than Ever

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, merely my cracked plot.

_Many thanks to all who favorited and alerted this story. Special thanks to those who took the time to review. I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: More Youthful than Ever<strong>

Team seven passed the next few days under a pall of tension.

Had Naruto pulled some failed prank or announced his continued quest for revenge, things might have continued as normal. Instead, he arrived the next morning and trained with the bare minimum of conversation. Whether they admitted it or not, the rest of his team found the unusually taciturn blond more terrifying than any threats of revenge.

After two weeks, the blond seemed to return to normal. They took on missions, Sasuke argued with Naruto and life went on. When he grew bored of needling the unresponsive Naruto about his failed "vow"; Sasuke returned to his usual line of insults.

The boy's threat would pass forgotten until two months later.

In the midst of another dull D-rank mission weeding a wealthy citizen's garden, Naruto straightened and swiped his face with the sleeve of the jacket knotted around his waist. He glared at the tree his sensei lounged in. Shaking his head, he stepped into the shade of the tree and peered up at the jounin. Kakashi sat in the joint between a large branch and the trunk, his hanging leg swung minutely in the warm summer breeze. Pointedly ignoring the boy, he giggled and flipped the page of his book.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto's tone was hard; his teammates looked up from their work. "Though it may not look like it, I haven't forgotten my promise. If you return my notes and apologize, I won't carry out my revenge."

Kakashi gave a questioning hum and peered down at the orange-clad boy. A few moments passed and then he shook his head. "Oh, that." He returned his gaze to his book. "Even if I wanted to return your notes, I can't. For some reason, they burst into flames when I was reading them."

A pleased smile spread across the whiskered cheeks. "You tried looking at them with your sharingan, didn't you?" Kakashi gave a small grunt of agreement. "Nice to know my security measure worked then."

Sasuke's eyes widened at the implication and scowled at the orange clad genin's back.

Naruto shook his head. "Since you can't return my notes, if you give me a sincere apology; I won't carry out my threat."

"I could," Kakashi drawled and tilted his head, "but I don't really feel like it. Get back to work all of you."

Naruto frowned a moment, and then his face went blank. "I see. Before I go, here are a few interesting facts for you Sensei... When I was six it took me a week of planning to pull off painting all the masks of Sparrow's squad pink and purple with hearts-"

Sasuke's ANBU guard snorted. "Sparrow still has a grudge against you kid." Sakura and Sasuke gaped at their teammate in a mixture of admiration and horror.

Naruto flashed a grin up at the unseen guard and continued. "I'm not a child anymore, Sensei. Imagine what I could do with these last two months and innumerable Shadow clones."

Kakashi didn't visibly react, but he felt the hairs on the back of his neck lift at the thought. Naruto's gaze eerily resembled the furious gaze Minato sensei locked on his Iwa enemies in the war. He mentally gave himself a shake, refusing to be cowed by his teacher's legacy.

"I'm pretty sure I can watch my back," Kakashi drawled, raising his book back to his face.

Naruto's shoulders slumped and he heaved a sigh of defeat. "You're lucky I like you sensei." He muttered before squatting down to pick more weeds.

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><p>Two hours later, Naruto joined a troop of clones in a wide clearing not far from where Team Gai typically trained. A clone transformed to look like one of the failed genin from the chuunin exam handed the blond a full backpack and dispersed. Naruto and his remaining clones grinned.<p>

"This is gonna be awesome." One of them chuckled, carefully tying a piece of sealing paper to the ring of a kunai. The original chuckled, pulled a bundle of clothing from the bag, and stripped out of his orange jumpsuit.

He pulled on a smoke-gray body suit, midnight black jacket, matching ninja sandals and charcoal gray cargo shorts. He attached his forehead protector to a black bandanna that covered his distinctive blond locks. A few dabs of camouflage paint thickened his whisker markings into a semblance of clan markings. Tossing the shopping bag and paint aside, he twisted and flexed to test his range of movement.

"So how do I look?" He asked his clones as he reattached his kunai and shuriken pouches.

The clones looked up from stabbing the tag marked kunai in a pattern around the clearing. "Awesome boss!" One cheered, giving a double thumbs-up. "It's perfect for the plan." Dark chuckles rang from the others.

Naruto checked the contents of his bag and then slung it over his shoulder just as the last clone stabbed his kunai in the ground and stepped back. His eyes traced the circular pattern of blades, their tags fluttering in the faint breeze. He nodded to himself, and then turned to the clones. "Let's do this. Who has the anchor?"

A clone peered over a scroll of seals and called out a string of numbers for another clone to copy onto an orange tag. The clone retrieved a kunai with a green tag and a large sealing scroll, then handed them to Naruto.

"Here you go, boss," the clone said as Naruto placed all but the green-tagged kunai in his new backpack. "To revenge." The clone stated and dispersed.

One by one, the troop of clones repeated the phrase and dispelled until only the original remained. The no longer orange-clad blond leaped to the center of the array.

"To revenge." He echoed, charging the green tag with chakra and thrusting the knife into the ground.

The tags lit up and the world slipped side-ways. Naruto wanted to scream, but he was frozen in a half-crouch as the sky went black and then swirled with dizzying flashes of color. His inner ear went crazy, and gravity seemed to yank him in random directions. Meanwhile, he felt the energy draining from him like water from an unstopped sink.

His stomach twisted in knots and the ramen he ate before attempting the seal soured in his belly. Just as he wondered whether his puke would fly away or just come back to him, the force holding him to his kunai vanished. Whirling like a released top, he spun a few feet, overbalanced and crashed face-first into a bush. Consciousness flipped him the finger and all went dark.

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><p>Waking up with leaves in your mouth and a large twig up your nose was a novel experience, Naruto decided as he fought his way back to awareness. An experience he could have lived without.<p>

He spat out the leaves and hissed a weak curse. His arms merely twitched when he tried to push himself up. A failed attempt to shift his legs garnered similar results. His muscles burned and throbbed and his core felt like an empty well.

He cursed again; he hadn't imagined the technique would be this demanding. Until he regained some chakra, moving was impossible. "I wonder how hard it will be to fall asleep with this in my nose." He muttered to himself.

Seconds later, he was asleep.

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><p>Yelling from what seemed a great distance slowly brought him back to awareness. A strong grip around his ankles yanking him from the bush finished the job. Howling in pain, Naruto clutched his abused sinuses and rolled onto his back to glare at his assailant.<p>

The shinobi-as Naruto spied the forehead protector tied around the boy's waist-pulled Naruto to a somewhat wobbly upright position. "Ah, you are a Konoha ninja!" The black haired boy exclaimed, black eyes shining under very large eyebrows.

_Bushy brows? Check._

"Was that some sort of training? Or were you assaulted by some unyouthful enemies?" Dark eyes darted around the wooded area, in hopes of spotting said enemies.

_Youth talk? Check._

"I was trying a new technique," Naruto rasped, massaging his nose as he eyed the boy's black pants and green t-shirt. "The backlash was more violent than I expected."

_Green spandex outfit? Negative. Hm._

Two out of three wasn't bad though.

"A new technique? And you're around my age!" Possibly-Gai cried, worship in his eyes.

Naruto mentally shrugged, and asked, "Are you Maito Gai?"

"I am! You've heard of Konoha's rising star of taijutsu then? But who are you?" Faint wariness crept into his tone. "Why have I never seen you before?"

Bingo, the time traveler grinned.

"That is simple," Naruto responded, "It all has to do with the technique I performed. I just traveled back in time."

Before Gai could open his mouth to reject it, Naruto kept speaking. "You know, Gai-sensei, I never would have imagined you were once my height!" He carefully walked around the boy, struggling to hide the shaking in his steps.

"'Sensei'?" Gai parroted with wide eyes. "I'm your teacher?"

"Nah, not mine," Naruto stepped to a tree and leaned back against it. "One of my best friends is your student. He worships you and shaped himself entirely in your image."

Gai's eyes sparkled with wonder, caught in the idea of someone worshiping him. Leading to imagining being someone worthy of worship. Reality stepped in, and suspicion crept back into his expression. "I'm still not convinced. I'm going to get a jounin." Gai didn't turn, but took a few steps back.

"Damn," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't planned on Gai being so untrusting. "The Gai I know would at least have given me a chance to explain why I'm here. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that you're a lot less youthful considering..."

Gai stiffened, and his eyes widened and he stopped backing away. He bit his lip, obviously torn. "Considering what?" He finally asked.

_'Gotcha!' _The blond mentally cheered. Outwardly, he shook his head and spread his arms, palms up. "Since you don't have an eternal rival."

Gai gaped at the time traveler. "You know the youth power of eternal rivals? Yes, you must, since you mentioned it. _Argh_! If only I knew who my ultimate rival was so I could reach the full potential of YOUTH!" He cried dramatically raising his fists to the sky, the faintest flickers of waves crashing behind him.

_'Wait for it...'_ Naruto fought down a manic grin.

"But wait!" Gai whirled to face the disguised blond his face beaming with hope. "You are from the future! You could tell me who my rival is!"

As swiftly as he brightened, the genin drooped. "But wait, if you came from the future, you likely have some amazing noble quest to save the future of Konoha and the world from destruction by an evil maniac who wants to control the world with... with the moon!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the outrageous scenario his fellow genin dreamed up. "No, nothing like that. I actually did come to guide you to your true rival."

Despite his instant joy, Gai couldn't help but ask, "Why? Why come back in time to tell me about my rival?"

"There are several reasons," Naruto slid down his tree until he sat on the ground. "Some less noble than others, but one reasons is: he needs you just as much as you need him. You probably know him, Hatake Kakashi."

Gai's jaw dropped. "THE Hatake Kakashi? The youngest jounin in a generation and only non-Uchiha to master the Sharingan is my rival? How could I possibly match him?"

"That is a good question." Naruto nodded, "Sadly I don't have an answer to that other than 'undaunted persistence'. You won't be in a normal rivalry, but your competitions will push both of you to be some of the strongest jounin ever."

"Competitions?" Gai frowned.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto grinned, gesturing with his right hand. "You challenge him to all sorts of random contests. If you lose, you promise to do some stunt like climbing the Hokage Monument on your hands. Never quite understood that part." He muttered the last as an aside, but Gai heard him.

"It isn't a youthful challenge without some penalty," Gai explained, nodding slowly no longer doubting that this Youthful Ninja was from the future.

"Right. Anyway, considering what has recently happened with his team, Kakashi needs your friendship to anchor him to the village. A rival like you is just what he needs to keep his flames of youth from burning out."

Gai gasped, "You're right! What little youth Kakashi had before Obito was lost has dimmed greatly! I understand!" He clenched his fist, eyes burning. "I will declare Kakashi my eternal rival and encourage my burning flames of youth to bolster him through his sorrow!"

"Just a warning," Naruto raised a finger. "He'll probably ignore you at first so pick some challenges based on things he's already planning on doing. Take it easy at first so you don't scare him away too. If he pretends he didn't hear you, stroke his ego a little and claim he has a hip attitude."

"Got it!" Gai bounced on the balls of his feet, ready to find his new rival.

"I have a special gift to help you on your way." The time-traveler reached into his backpack and removed a small, slightly dusty sealing scroll. He placed it in Gai's outstretched hand but didn't let go. "Sealed in this is your ultimate tool to reaching your full youthful potential. My master made me seal it away because I was not strong enough to handle its power."

He relaxed his grip. Gai took the scroll and activated the seal with shaking hands. A green spandex suit fell into his hands. "This... This is AMAZING! I've never seen such a glorious outfit!" The black-haired boy whirled to Naruto, tears shining in his eyes. "I will treasure it always! Thank you so much, Youthful Ninja from the Future! Before I go, tell me, will I ever see you again?"

"Of course," Naruto grinned. "That's a promise, and I never go back on my promises! You'll have to keep my arrival and actions here a secret until then."

"But when will I see you again? Five years? Ten?" The boy knelt at his side and peered anxiously at his face.

"We'll meet sometime after your 150th challenge." Naruto clapped a hand on the future taijutsu master's shoulder. "Now go get him."

"Yosh!" The boy cheered and sprinted away.

"Mission complete." He summoned some kage bunshin and handed one of them the large scroll from his pack. Each of the clones took one of the seals on the scroll and unsealed a brace of tagged kunai.

As the clones dashed around planting kunai, Naruto fished out several cups of ramen with seals scrawled on their lids. A flash of chakra and minutes later he feasted.

By the time he finished his meal and sealed away the garbage, the array was complete. His clones congratulated him on his success before dispersing.

As he double checked the placement of the seal, Naruto's stomach protested at the thought of the ride ahead. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten so much ramen. Unfortunately, it was too dangerous to stay longer. Sleeping in a bush and only being found by his target pushed his luck to the breaking point.

Heaving a sigh and shaking his head, he stepped through the kunai-formed seal patterns. Gritting his teeth, he crouched and then stuck the orange-tagged kunai into the soil. The magnet-like connection returned and the disconcerting celestial light show began. When the invisible force jerked him like a leaf in the wind, he lost his battle against nausea.

Thankfully, his vomit did not fly back into his face. A bemused part of his brain, drifting aimlessly in his increasing exhaustion watched it catch fire and disappear. He giggled, wondering where it would end up before he flew away from the ground and skidded face-first along blissfully soft, upturned soil and hot ashes.

For a moment, colored lights flashed in his vision. He struggled to breathe, his exhaustion crushing him to the ground. A twitch of his neck muscles aided by gravity turned his head to the side.

The eye not pressed against the ground widened as much as he could force it in horror. All he could see was burning and torn to pieces. "Crap, I destroyed the world..." Naruto wheezed, and succumbed to chakra exhaustion.


	3. Death to Orange

Thanks again to all who favorited/alerted this story. This is rather new territory for me so I'm glad my work is well-recieved. A special thanks goes out to all who took the time to leave a review!

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Death to Orange<strong>

_Two hours after Team Seven's D-rank mission..._

Despite his bravado in denying Naruto's threat, Kakashi couldn't suppress a twinge of worry. He hadn't dubbed the boy 'the number one unpredictable ninja' lightly. Since the Jinchuuriki left with Jiraiya to retrieve Tsunade, his prowess with seals increased at a monstrous rate. Even the great toad sage admitted that Naruto's skills already outstripped his own due to the boy's wild imagination and tireless use of clones.

Only a very select few knew that the seals Naruto used at the Valley of the End to subdue Sasuke and later block Orochimaru's curse seal were developed by the boy, not Jiraiya. Had the would-be defector known this, his progress back towards sanity would have tripled in difficulty.

Kakashi shook the dark thoughts from his head. Sasuke was opening up again and their frayed teamwork was mending. He tilted his head towards the training field his most energetic student occupied. He felt the vibrant throb of the boy's massive chakra pool shift in excitement. All signs pointed toward him doing something today, and the Jounin thought it wise to be close at hand. It would hardly do for the boy to injure himself in the name of a revenge prank.

Naruto's chakra flared.

Kakashi lowered his book in time to witness an explosion worthy of a thousand super-charged blast tags shoot a pillar of flame fifty feet into the air. The security seals doming over the village flickered briefly into the visible spectrum.

A chill ran down his spine and he rose to a crouch on the limb of his tree. This situation was eerily familiar. Around thirteen years ago, Iwa pulled a similar technique in the same area. Had an Iwa spy infiltrated Konoha and recognized Naruto's connection with the Fourth Hokage?

He frantically searched for the genin's presence. Icha Icha Paradise slipped from his numb fingers, Naruto's chakra was gone.

"No!" He cried, launching himself with enough force to crack the branch. Dodging falling debris and crashing through smoldering branches he strained his senses for the sunshine and ramen flavor of Naruto's chakra signature. Heart sinking each passing second, he entered the destroyed training area. Shielding his eye from the heat he stepped into the hellish scene.

Massive trees split and shattered from the force of the blast, blazed and choked the ground. Could even a jinchuuriki survive such an explosion? A flicker of chakra caught his attention and he sped up, heedless of his sandals melting under the heat of the fires. Faint as it was, that flicker gave him hope. Naruto was alive, but weaker than Kakashi had ever witnessed.

Nothing burned at the epicenter of the explosion as anything flammable instantly changed to ash in the blast. A small blackened figure sprawled face-down in the savaged soil. Heart in his throat, he leaped to what seemed be the horribly burnt figure of his student.

Fingers trembling, he turned the boy over. Naruto's face was streaked with soot, blood, and dirt but didn't seem burnt. Though it was weak and shallow, Naruto still breathed and his pulse was slow and belabored. Sparing a mere moment's notice to the boy's odd attire, he scooped Naruto into his arms and dashed for the nearest hospital.

Ignoring the ANBU arriving on the scene, he increased his pace; dodging smoldering debris on the edges of the training ground. He hitched the small body closer to his chest as if willing some of his chakra to enter the echoing emptiness emanating from the small, painfully limp body.

Taking to the rooftops, he glanced down at the black-smeared face. "I'm sorry Naruto. If I'd known you would nearly-" He choked, refusing to say anything regarding death to the barely living boy. "I never realized you'd encounter something so dangerous trying to carry out your plan. I should have apologized."

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><p>The world must not have ended, Naruto decided. He ached everywhere.<p>

His limbs hurt. His head hurt. Even his whisker marks hurt. Naruto mentally prayed to return to the blissful, painless darkness. But it was not to be, he had to sneeze.

The words that followed the sneeze would have curled a sailor's nose hairs... if Naruto had retained the ability to open his mouth and speak clearly. Instead, it sounded like he'd been gagged and kicked in the groin.

"Ah, you're finally awake!" Kakashi's voice came from nearby. Normally, the blond would have grunted or ignored the object of his revenge, but the raw relief in his teacher's tone surprised him into cracking one eye open. Shock drove both open.

Kakashi was a mess. His gravity defying hair hung limp around his face. The silver strands and the man's face and clothing were smeared with soot. A vague hint of smoke clung to the hand stroking the blond's hair. "I'm sorry Naruto."

"Wha-?" Naruto croaked, then choked on his burning throat. The jounin gently helped him take a drink from a glass with a straw and then leaned back in his chair. He scrubbed his eye with the palm of his hand, the action only emphasizing the dark smudges beneath it.

"I shouldn't have let my pride get in the way." Kakashi tried to run his fingers through his hair, but they caught in the sticky, tangled mass. He pulled his hand away and sighed. "I'm sorry Naruto, if I had apologized, you wouldn't have been in that location and nearly died in the attack."

"A-Attack?" Naruto choked his relief over not ending the world faded. "What do you mean? Who attacked us?" Fighting muscles stiff with pain and inactivity, he forced himself upright. The IV in his wrist throbbed at the sudden movement.

"Don't strain yourself!" Kakashi propped some pillows behind the boy and gently guided him back. "You need to rest, let others take care of it."

"Who attacked us?" Naruto persisted.

Kakashi sighed easily reading the determination in Naruto's eyes. "We aren't sure. The best guess is Iwa though."

"Iwa? Why Iwa?"

"The pattern of the explosion was exactly like one that happened thirteen years ago in about the same place. The huge crater with a few puddles of melted kunai scattered through it was very distinctive." Kakashi peered out the window at the night sky, caught in his memories. As a result, he missed the horrified understanding dawning on the blond's face.

"Iwa denied involvement in the attack. Investigation techniques have improved since then, so we should be able to find the culprit this time."

Naruto paled. How much trouble would he be in? "Um, sensei, no one was hurt, right?"

The copy ninja locked Naruto with a piercing glare, "_You_ were hurt. Konoha was lucky no one else was nearby the first time if it emptied your chakra wells so much. That technique would kill anyone else." Kakashi leaned over and pressed the nurse call button.

"Despite the damage and how drained you were, things could have been much worse. We were lucky Gai and his team left on a mission the day before."

'Luck nothing,' Naruto thought, 'I waited for them to leave before trying to go back.'

Kakashi stood as a male medic-nin entered the room. "Naruto, I want you to rest here one more night. Sakura, Sasuke and I will help you to your apartment tomorrow." He paused, walked back to Naruto's side and gently rubbed the boy's blond, spiky hair. "I'm glad you're alright Naruto, the others will be relieved you're okay."

Naruto frowned, "Sensei, I've had chakra exhaustion before. Why would they be worried?"

"Please lay back Uzumaki-san," the medic ordered calmly as he helped Naruto lay back down. "Your sensei is worried because your chakra was so low you nearly died several times your first day here."

Kakashi's wince was minute, but Naruto still caught it. "Don't worry about it Naruto, you're fine now."

Naruto nodded, the pain he'd felt on waking had faded. Though he still felt tired and drained, the walk home no longer felt like an insurmountable task. A flare of guilt burned in his stomach. "Um, Kakashi-sensei? About the person who caused the explosion..."

"Don't worry about that Naruto, you're safe from the culprit, I promise." The disheveled jounin slipped from the room before the boy could reply. He tried to raise his hand and call his teacher back, but a heavy lassitude clung to him, weighing the limb down. He drunkenly rolled his head to the side and saw the medic pulling a needle from a shunt on his drip-line.

"Sleep Uzumaki-san," he ordered as he dropped the needle in the disposal bin.

As if I had a choice, Naruto grumbled in his mind. Color leeched away from his vision and darkness reclaimed him.

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><p>Naruto fidgeted in the freshly washed monochrome outfit he'd worn on his trip to the past since Kakashi neglected to bring him a new orange outfit. As if summoned by the thought, his sensei entered the room. A small knot of apprehension loosened in the boy's chest, Kakashi's hair once more stood at attention and the circles under his eyes lessened.<p>

A subdued Sakura and Sasuke followed him into the room. The relief in their eyes changed to shock as they took in Naruto's apparel. Sakura's eyes traveled up and down his form a few times and then a small half smile of appreciation twitched at the corner of her mouth. "I'm glad you're alright Naruto. I- we were worried."

Sasuke gave his rival's outfit a quick appraising look, nodded, and then stared at the boy's face. "Why the face paint?"

The blond blinked. Face paint? His eyes widened and he rushed to the en suite restroom. Furious splashing followed by a shocked cry of horror followed. "Why won't it wash off?" He cried, rushing to Kakashi's side.

"You got the paint from Nama Tsuchiro's didn't you?" Kakashi asked, peering at the reddened but clearly marked cheeks.

"Well, yeah," Naruto conceded, scratching at his skin and then peering at his nails. "I didn't want it to be noticeable that the marks weren't real and he said it was the best..."

"It's the best for a reason Naruto." Kakashi handed Naruto his smoke-scented backpack, put his hand on his student's shoulder and led him from the room, his teammates trailing. "What good would a disguise on a mission be if it washed off or faded after only a day or two? It should have come with a secondary tube for easier removal."

Naruto furrowed his brow in thought. His clone's memory showed a flash of a small tube included with the paint.

A tube he left in the bottom of the bag and left behind in a clearing that was torn apart by the explosion.

Naruto hung his head, he'd have to perform a few missions before he could buy a new one. Preparation for this prank left a major hole in his wallet.

The Kyuubi container was confused at the looks he'd received on his way home. Though he'd rolled his bandanna to wear his forehead protector the normal way, none of the looks he received were immediately hostile. Did people really hate orange that much, or did they just not recognize him?

Before long, the party reached Naruto's apartment. "Um, why are you all still here?" Naruto tilted his head at his teammates.

"Weren't you listening Dobe?" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to drop off your bag and prescriptions and then we're going to the Hokage so you can report anything you saw."

"Oh yeah, huh?" Naruto laughed sheepishly and unlocked his apartment. He hadn't heard anything they'd said after leaving the hospital.

Shaking his head, he stepped over the morass of scrolls and half-inked seals his clones left behind when he'd utterly depleted his chakra. He just wanted to slip into something a little more orange before visiting the old lady. Humming, he dropped his pack and slid his closet open. He gasped, heart clenching as though an Akamichi had socked him.

His orange was GONE. A wordless wail forced its way out his throat and he fell to his knees, staring at the somber-colored clothing infesting his closet.

"What on earth?" Kakashi exclaimed as he burst in on the whimpering boy followed by his gaping students.

"Where are all my jumpsuits?" Naruto cried, whirling to check his dresser. It mirrored the closet, totally void of orange.

A half-bemused, half-horrified party watched the boy tear his room apart, checking loose floorboards, crawl spaces and hidden panels to no avail.

"How did this happen?" Naruto lamented, waving a pair of midnight blue cargo shorts in one fist.

"Well Naruto," Kakashi scratched his head. "Several ANBU saw you as I took you to the hospital. It looks like Standing Mission D2O45 was finally carried out successfully."

"Noooo." Naruto moaned, slumping to his knees once more. "Orange, I failed you..."

"D2O45?" Sakura asked glancing between the horrified boy and her teacher.

Kakashi led the Sakura and Sasuke out of earshot and whispered. "D2O45, nicknamed 'Death to Orange' was issued by the third when Naruto took to wearing that orange abomination. If Naruto ever appeared in ninja-appropriate attire, the first available ANBU were to purchase similar clothing and destroy every orange jumpsuit in his apartment."

"Why waste time and resources for the dobe?" Sasuke frowned toward Naruto's room.

Kakashi's brow lowered and he fixed a glare on the sullen boy. Sasuke quailed under the harsh gaze. "Naruto was like a grandson to the Third, he funded the mission personally. Well, he funded the first attempt." Kakashi relented.

Sakura pried her worried gaze from Naruto's room and frowned at her teacher. "That's right; you said it was 'finally carried out successfully'."

Kakashi nodded, "The original mission failed spectacularly and Naruto retaliated. I think that was the time he dyed the hokage robes orange."

"No, that was the fourth time," Naruto corrected in a low sullen voice as he staggered out of his room. Sakura winced at the stark devastation in his blue eyes. "The first time I paint bombed the tower." He heaved a deep sigh and waved the others out of his apartment.

"ANBU took this mission and failed four times?" Sasuke raised a skeptic eyebrow at the blond's back.

"It was quite a bit more than four times," Kakashi chuckled, slipping his hands into his pockets, his eye following the blurs ninja passing overhead. "After the fifth time, ANBU stopped accepting partial payment and turned it into an eternal standing mission, much like capturing Tora for genin."

"So how many times did they try?" Sakura skipped ahead and then bent over to look into Naruto's eyes. Her eyes shone with an expression admiration he'd never seen directed at him, so the boy stopped.

The faintest of smiles quirked at the corner of his mouth. "I dunno. I stopped counting after the thirtieth time."

Sasuke heard this just as he was about to pass the pair, and he froze.

"It got so bad they'd try and switch my clothes as I slept." Naruto laughed, some of his humor returning. "I got really good at setting traps and hiding things though." He beamed at the others then sighed heavily and started walking again. "I wonder how they found them all. I could have sworn I hid some sealed away in my walls."

"They probably brought in a Hyuuga," Kakashi theorized, scanning his surroundings in quick passes. Naruto did a double-take, gaping at his teacher.

"Sensei, you aren't reading?" He asked. Kakashi's eye curved in a weak semblance of a smile, but he didn't respond or relax.

All thoughts of his lost orange fled with the guilt gnawing at his stomach. Kakashi may look better, but he had not relaxed his guard.

"Um, sensei, about the-" Naruto began.

"There you are!" Shizune shouted, frowning at the group. "You're late! Tsunade-sama was starting to worry Naruto suffered a relapse or was attacked again. We need to hurry!" She seized Naruto's left hand and herded team seven to Tsunade's office.

"It's about time!" The blond woman growled, shoving a stack of folders into her student's arms. She locked an appraising gaze on Naruto. A few moments passed and she seemed to find what she was looking for and slumped back into her seat. "Kakashi, it is bad enough you are constantly late without dragging your students into your bad habits."

"Sorry Hokage-sama," Kakashi ducked his head slightly and smiled. "Some mean ninja stole a boy's orange so we stopped to comfort him."

Tsunade shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, thus missing the incredulous looks the genin exchanged.

Ignoring the excuse, she rested her chin on her interlocked fingers and looked at Naruto. "Tell me everything you remember about what happened the day of the attack."

"Um," Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I, well, there's been a misunderstanding. There was no attack."

She leaned back in her chair and heaved a disappointed sigh. "So you don't remember anything then."

"No, I remember enough," Naruto shook his head "My kage bunshin made sure there wasn't anyone around while they set up a new seal. I guess the seal I used wasn't just draining but destructive as well."

"Even if we were to believe you caused the explosion, it wouldn't explain the similarity with the attack thirteen years ago." Kakashi chided.

"They're the similar because I caused both of them!"

Silence fell, and Tsunade sighed.

"Dammit Shizune, I thought they gave him a clean bill of health." the Hokage grumbled, brows lowering.

"I'm not joking." Naruto snarled, "I caused both of the explosions with the seal I've been working on for the last two months. And before you correct me or mention again about the first one being thirteen years ago: the seal was designed to take me back in time."

Naruto panted, cheeks flushed as some of his closest people gaped at him.

He blustered on in the prolonged silence. "I wouldn't have done it if Kakashi hadn't stolen my notes and then refused to apologize." He huffed. "It was part of my big plan for revenge, I succeeded too!"

"Why on earth would revenge on sensei involve going back in time?" Sakura asked, being the first to regain her voice.

Naruto blushed, scratching his cheek. "Heh, well I got to thinking-"

"Tsunade-sama!" Gai yelled, bursting in the room. "This attack! Like thirteen years ago- Oh, I beg your pardon Hokage-sama; my flames of youth extinguished my patience. I did not mean to burst in on your meeting with my hip rival and-"

Gai stopped, frowning, and peered at the blond's attire. Naruto turned back to look at Gai, their eyes met and the man sucked in an enormous gasp of air.

"It is the Youthful Ninja from the Future!" He bellowed, pointing at the boy and then swiftly scooping him into his arms. "I feared you died in the attack after I left you!" He sobbed, rubbing a tearful cheek on the blond spikes and spinning in a circle.

Shizune's folders fell to the floor in a rustling cascade and Tsunade's head thunked against her desk. Kakashi and Sasuke wore matching dumbstruck expressions. Sakura's knees shook and the all too familiar feelings of inadequacy burned in her chest. While she merely improved, her teammate created a seal to take him back in time! A feat ninjas sought to accomplish even before the elemental nations formed.

"Gai-san! You're smothering him!" Shizune cried.

Gai's tears dried and he peered down at the limp boy in his arms. "NOOOO! Youthful Ninja from the Future! You already warned me you were unable to handle great doses of youth! You survived breaking the laws of time and space, do not die now!" Tears gushed down his face in earnest. Naruto's head lolled as the green beast shook his shoulders.

Snapping out of her shock at the word "die" Tsunade tossed the jounin aside and checked the boy's vitals.

Sakura peeked over the hokage's shoulder. "Is he okay?" She asked, clutching her fists to her chest. She only relaxed when the blonde released a relieved sigh.

"Just momentarily passed out. Gai, explain!" Tsunade barked to the jounin who shakily pulled himself out of the plaster of her office wall.

"Certainly Hokage-sama!" He stood straight, teeth sparkling. "Thirteen years ago, as I was performing my youthful training, I stumbled upon an unfamiliar shinobi in most unyouthful circumstances. Fearing he was victim to an enemy attack, I rushed to his aid. Although, his flames of youth had obviously dimmed with weariness he attempted to placate my fear of his unfamiliarity. He even-"

"The short version please?" Tsunade shifted Naruto in her lap and pinched the bridge of her nose again. The time-traveler moaned, opening his eyes to warily eye the man in green.

"Oh, I beg your pardon Hokage-sama. How unyouthful of me to waste your time." Gai frowned a moment, reorganizing his thoughts. "After the Youthful Ninja from the Future managed to convince me of his origin, he performed an act for which I will be forever grateful!" Tears sprang in the jounin's eyes once more and rays of sunlight shone down on him.

Shaking off his lethargy, Naruto leaped from Tsunade's arms and stared at Kakashi, a manic grin of anticipation on his face. Upon learning that Naruto was not in danger of imminent attack, the man had pulled a suspiciously new looking orange book from his pouch and opened it.

"You should thank your student as well Kakashi," Gai turned to the silver-haired man. "For he was the one who told me you were my eternal rival and gave me the courage to approach and befriend you!"

Kakashi's habitual "What was that Gai?" died in his throat as the implication sunk in. His visible eye widened and his hands shook.

Up until that moment, Sasuke watched the proceedings in silence. His eyes widened and darted between the two men. "Wait, so _Naruto_ is the one who started your eternal rivalry?"

"Indeed, young Uchiha!" Gai boomed. "My flames of youth were weak, so I could not see past Kakashi's cool exterior to the rival he could become. We have only pushed each other to greater-"

"Thank you Gai, I will call you in when I'm done with Team Seven," Tsunade interrupted, climbing wearily to her feet. This was all too confusing. Shizune escorted the Green Beast from the office.

Sasuke toned out out all Gai said after confirming Naruto's role. Why go to the past merely to make Gai claim Kakashi as his rival? The cogs in his head turned and when they clicked into place, his head snapped up and he gave his teammate a horrified look. "Naruto, if I did anything to make you angry, I sincerely apologize. I also apologize for doubting you could get revenge on Kakashi-sensei, you've proven me wrong."

Kakashi seemed lost in his own world. While part of him raged at his student's actions and all the frustration he experienced in having Gai as a rival… The rivalry came at a time he needed a stubborn companion and friend. The whispered comment Naruto made at the end of their D-Rank nearly a week ago suddenly made sense.

Raising his head to meet Naruto's expectant gaze, he sighed. "Thank you Naruto."

The boy's toothy grin closed, and smoothed into a gentle, almost benign smile. His eyes softened, and his expression radiated approval. The similarity to Minato struck hard, and he looked away. "How will we explain this to the public?" He asked Tsunade, who guiltily slipped a porcelain bottle back under her desk.

She peered at the boy, her eyes involuntarily flickering to the portrait of the fourth on the wall when she caught his expression. She hummed thoughtfully and a grin split her face. She summoned an ANBU and within moments, she extended a three-pronged kunai to Naruto. He cocked his head at the sealing paper wrapped around its handle.

"Naruto, team seven, your official story will be that the explosion was caused by Naruto's failed attempt to imitate the Hiraishin." She couldn't help but grin at the brilliance of her plan.

"But won't he have to have some sort of proof that he was working on it?" Sakura asked, trying not to gape at Naruto's hungry gaze on the kunai.

Naruto snatched the weapon, turning it in his hands until he found the seam of the paper. He slipped a nail under its edge. Only Sasuke caught the visible flinch and then confusion on the faces of the adults as Naruto unwrapped the aging paper. Blue eyes skimmed the seals with the speed of a seal master.

"Huh, this doesn't look too hard...I bet I can make this even better!" Naruto hummed, swiping a brush and scrap of paper off Tsunade's desk. "There!" He proclaimed moments later, wrapping his new paper around the hilt of the kunai.

"Hey Bear-san!" Naruto called to the ANBU who brought the weapon. "Can you plant this somewhere for me to test it?"

At Tsunade's nod, the man took the dagger and vanished in a shunshin.

Sakura stamped down the habitual urge to scold Naruto. What did she know about seals? If Naruto could create a seal to go back in time, what was to stop him from understanding the legendary Hiraishin?

The moment of silent contemplation ended as Gai burst into the room once more. "Forgive me Hokage-sama, but I forgot one important thing!" He turned to Naruto and bowed. "Thank you for giving me the gift of the most youthful jumpsuit. I wouldn't be the man I am now without it!" He slammed the door shut once more.

A heavy aura filled the room and Naruto gave a nervous laugh at the dark expression on Tsunade and his team's faces.

"Na-ru-to..." the sannin growled, vein throbbing on her forehead. "That better not mean what I thought it did." She cracked her knuckles and stalked toward him.

"Heh heh." Sweat ran down his cheek and he mentally wished for a final bowl of ramen. Suddenly he felt a strange tug and grinned. "Bye Baa-chan, field test!"

Focusing his chakra, he vanished in a brilliant flash of orange.

* * *

><p><em>Please review and stay tunned for the epilogue!<em>


	4. Epilogue

_Thank you to all who have faved/alerted or reviewed this story. It was a fun piece to write and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thanks for all of your support in my first foray into Naruto Fanfiction.-Mystic 777_

* * *

><p><strong>OmakeEpilogue:**

_A little less than thirteen years ago..._

Chiba Daichi shuddered in the darkening twilight as he scampered past the remains of the battlefield. As a low-level genin of Iwa, he knew he amounted to mere canon fodder. Especially with the monstrous Yellow Flash on Konoha's side. The only reason he didn't die with his platoon was he lost his way after answering the call of nature.

Something skittered away from his foot. A three-pronged kunai gleamed red in the sun's dying light. His heart leaped into his throat. Whispers passed through the camps that such weapons summoned the Yellow demon. The seal masters of Iwa were desperate to get their hands on the secret of the Hiraishin, and here was one left behind.

He lifted the kunai with shaking hands, and peered at the paper wrapped around the handle. He bit his lip, fingers itching to unwrap the unassuming slip. He knew a little about seals, and figuring out the Hiraishin was a greater accomplishment than just bringing the kunai back. He slid his thumb under the paper's edge and then stopped, sweat trickling down his neck.

Some seal masters left traps in the event an enemy tried to learn their secrets. Could this be booby-trapped as well? An explosion rang out not too far away, and he flinched pulling the paper free. Unfortunately, he shot a burst of chakra through it as well.

_Elsewhere..._

Minato paused in the act of passing a scroll of sealed kunai to a jounin commander. "Duty calls," he sighed with a weary grin and followed the tug.

The screams of horror that followed his arrival didn't match the norm. Instead of fear and defeat, it sounded like pain and... disgust? He whirled around in a half crouch only to slip out of position and gape at the scene before him.

An Iwa genin rolled on the ground, covered in flaming vomit. _Was that ramen?_ He couldn't help but wonder as he flicked his eyes around the battlefield. Not sensing any of the boy's allies around, he grimaced and held his nose. Sharp blue eyes assessed the scene and quickly landed on the tag at the boy's feet.

_'Huh, I wondered what would happen if someone took those off. I certainly wasn't expecting _that_ though..._' He thought, pinching a clean corner of the singed paper and retrieving his kunai.

Finally extinguished, the sobbing and gagging boy lay on the ground, unaware of Minato's presence.

"Oi," He called and the kid, who didn't seem much older than Kakashi, rolled onto his back to lock his horrified green eyes on every Iwa-nin's nightmare.

Minato wagged the sodden seal at the boy. "You should know better to try and take things that don't belong to you. Have you learned your lesson?"

It looked like the kid's head would fall off with how hard he nodded. "I don't want to die." He choked, scrubbing at the tears that wouldn't stop.

"I do believe you have." Minato nodded. "Go home and become a chicken farmer or something." Minato tossed the kid a wave and vanished in a flash of golden light.

Daichi would forever be grateful for two things that night. That the yellow flash deigned to spare a miserable genin, and that he had just relieved himself. Thus, he entered the ranks of those who survived an encounter with the elemental countries' most feared soldier without soiling their pants.

Before handing in his forehead protector and looking into following Namikaze's advice, the boy reported the disastrous results of attempting to tamper with the Hiraishin seals. Though the specifics were soon lost to rumor, one thing remained: removing the slip was a bad idea.


End file.
